The Challenge of Developing Transformational Leadership in the Public Sector JOE WALLIS AMERICAN UNIVERSITY OF SHARJAH

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1 The Challenge of Developing Transformational Leadership in the Public Sector JOE WALLIS AMERICAN UNIVERSITY OF SHARJAH

2 Evolution, Revolution and Renewal in Public Management Source of ideas Progressive Public Administration Public Administration New Public Management Government Failure Stream in Economics Public Value Management New Governance Stream in PA Institutional goal Personal goal of senior public servant Sustainable policy partnerships between politicians and administrators Sustainable influence Job and income security and Generic Managerialism Policy-provider split Agency accountability Managerial reward Visible achievement Transformational Leadership Greater integration of public services through network development Recognition of leadership potential Credible self image

3 Evolution, Revolution and Renewal in Public Management Progressive Public New Public Public Value Administration Management Management Responsibility Procedural probity Discretion Specific outputs Efficiency Publicly valued outcomes Feasibility and sustainability Core Competency Sage/expert Deliverer Capacity builder Boundary-spanner Contradictions Partnership vs capture Managerial discretion vs managerial accountability Initiative vs coherence

4 Hirschmanian Pattern of Reform Rhetoric Increase Emotional Dissonance From Supporting Radical Reforms Jeopardy Thesis Perversity Thesis Futility Thesis Increase Emotional Dissonance From Opposing Radical Reforms Desperate Predicament Thesis Imminent Danger Thesis Futility of Resistance Thesis

5 Rhetoric of Public Service Renewal and Leadership Development Main Sources Emergent Possibilities Political Purpose New Governance Stream in PA Capacity-building potential of networks. Empower guardians of public service values Transformational Leadership literature Leadership potential of managers with agent discretion Disempower economists by naturalizing normative concepts that are unintelligible to them

6 Implicit Presumption of PVM Public managers can be induced to change their behavior so that it reflects the image of a transformational leader who takes responsibility for mobilizing networks of in pursuit of initiatives that create public value.

7 Characteristics of Public Value- Creating Initiatives Substantively Valuable Organizationally and Administratively Feasible Legitimate and Politically Sustainable

8 Public Value-Seeking Leadership Dimension of Leadership Deliberative Motivational Demonstrative Public Value- Seeking Leadership Behavior Exploratory Inspirational Responsibilityseeking

9 Implicit Motivational Assumption of Leadership Development Programs Public managers will identify themselves with an image of the type of leader they want to become and struggle to bring their behavior into line with this image when they are made aware of an image gap. To change their leadership behavior, they must be challenged to o Reformulate their leader image o Reflect on feedback about the impression left by their actual behavior o Interact with actors who provide them with the emotional support to sustain hope in the worth and possibility of behavioral change in the face of potential disappointments

10 LEA Diagnostic Leadership Function 1: Creating a Vision Traditional: Studying problems in the light of past practices. Innovative:Being willing to take risks and to consider new and untested approaches. Technical:Acquiring and maintaining in-depth knowledge in the field of expertise. Self:Emphasizing the importance of making decisions independently. Strategic:Taking a long-range, broad approach to problem solving Leadership Function 2: Developing Followers Persuasive:Building commitment by convincing others. Outgoing:Acting in an extroverted, friendly and informal manner. Excitement:Operating with energy, intensity, and emotional expression. Restraint:Working to control emotions and maintain an understated personal demeanor

11 LEA Diagnostic Leadership Function 3: Implementing the Vision Structuring: Adopting systematic and organized approaches. Tactical:Focusing on short-range, hands-on, practical strategies. Communication:Clarifying what is expected and maintaining the flow of information. Delegation: Enlisting the talents of others and allowing them to exercise their judgment. Leadership Function 4: Following Through Control: Monitoring progress to ensure tasks are completed on schedule. Feedback: Letting others know how they have performed and met expectations.

12 LEA Diagnostic Leadership Function 5: Achieving Results Management Focus: Seeking to exert influence by being in positions of authority. Dominant:Pushing vigorously to achieve results by being assertive and competitive. Production:Adopting a strong orientation toward achievement and setting standards. Leadership Function 6: Team Playing Co-operation:Accommodating the needs and interests of others. Consensual:Valuing the ideas and opinions of others. Authority:Showing organizational loyalty and respecting superiors. Empathy: Demonstrating an active concern for people and their needs.

13 Transformational Leadership Gap Low Frequency Behaviors Innovative (1) Strategic (1) Persuasive (2) Outgoing (2) Excitement (2) Communication (3) Delegation (3) Feedback (4) Management Focus (5) Dominant (5) Production (5) Consensual (6) Empathy (6) High Frequency Behaviors Traditional (1) Technical (1) Self (1) Restraint (2) Structuring (3) Tactical (3) Control (4) Co-operation (6) Authority (6)

14 Transformational Leadership Gap in Irish Public Sector (Aggregate LEA data: ) Risk Taking Behavior Median Frequency Risk Averse Behavior Median Frequency Innovative 40% (L) Traditional 75% (H) Strategic 50% (M) Technical 50% (M) Persuasive 40% (L) Self 50% (M) Outgoing 55 % (M) Restraint 55% (M) Excitement 40% (L) Structuring 65% (H) Communication 50% (M) Tactical 55% (M) Delegation 50% (M) Control 55% (M) Feedback 55% (M) Co-operation 70% (H) Management Focus 40% (L) Authority 70% (H) Dominant 40% (L) Production 40% (L) Consensual 40% (L) Empathy 55% (M)

15 Implications of Self-Report of Risk Averse Leadership Behavior Many public managers do not identify with the image of the transformational leader. Hood (1996) developed a typology of public service bargains that differentiate explicit or implicit agreements between public servants.... and those they serve that identify what the various players gain and what they give up relative to one another with regard to rewards, competencies and responsibilities Where reform does not change the basic agency structure of PSBs but changes the incidence of serial loyalist or delegated agency forms, public managers may still not identify with the transformational image since i. They continue to operate under a serial loyalist bargain under which they hope to achieve a reputation of being a safe pair of hands who can be trusted with access to the counsels of successive political leaders. ii. The credibility of political commitment to allow them to develop a transformational reputation under a delegated agency bargain is weakened by expectations of principal cheating.

16 Preliminary Interview Evidence Interviewed public managers who credibly identified themselves as transformational leaders. Found that i. they were either policy entrepreneurs under serial loyalist PSBs or organizational change agents under delegated agency PSBs; ii. they valued public recognition less than support from a network that included political champions, organizational followers, aspirant leaders in the broad public services and key customers and suppliers in the priavte and non-profit sector.